Anti-paper leak Bill on agenda, stage set for House showdown on Monday

The government will be tested on Monday, with an emboldened Oppn confronting it, writes Archis Mohan

The government is set to introduce the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means Amendment) Bill, 2026, in the Lok Sabha on Monday, tightening penalties under the anti-paper leak law enacted in February 2024, as it scrambles to contain the political aftershocks of nationwide protests demanding exam reforms. 

The likely legislative push would come a day after Pralhad Joshi took additional charge as education minister. He replaced Dharmendra Pradhan, who resigned on Saturday amid mounting student unrest. The Opposition had made Pradhan’s resignation the precondition for allowing a discussion on paper leaks in Parliament. 

With that obstacle removed, the Centre will attempt to push its legislative agenda in the remaining 14 sittings of the monsoon session. However, it has yet to list the fresh women’s reservation Bill and the linked delimitation Bill. Their introduction will hinge on whether the Centre is confident of securing the two-thirds majority needed to pass the Constitutional amendments, with an Opposition emboldened by the success of the protests poised to make every vote count. 

The Opposition will press PM Narendra Modi to apologise to students and seek an explanation from Union Home Minister Amit Shah, arguing that the Delhi Police and Rapid Action Force operate under his ministry. Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has written to Shah demanding accountability for what he called the “barbaric assault” on protesters and asking whether he authorised the use of “lethal force,” including pellet guns. He also questioned whether individuals in plain clothes seen beating students with batons were police personnel or volunteers and who had authorised their deployment.

On Sunday evening, Modi announced that a high-powered task force headed by “world famous technology expert” Nandan Nilekani is being set up to overhaul the examination system. Based on the committee’s report, the system will be made more trustworthy and transparent using technology, the PM said. 

Meanwhile, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman told a news channel that the government will have to communicate with the youth in the language they understand, which is “not too verbose and bureaucratic.” She added: “We have to keep our ears closer to the ground so that we hear and understand what’s going on.” 

Beyond the protests, the Congress and other Opposition parties are expected to sharpen their attack on rising education costs and the government’s shrinking budgetary commitment to the sector. Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh cited an analysis of Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy household expenditure data from 2014-15 to 2025-26, saying education costs have risen substantially faster than household incomes. 

In a social media post, Shah said the interests of India, its youth and students were “far more important than any position” for BJP workers and that Pradhan’s resignation reflected that principle. He said the Modi government respected the sentiment of young people and remained committed to implementing reforms to eliminate paper leaks. At the same time, he praised Pradhan’s tenure, crediting him with advancing the National Education Policy (NEP), expanding examinations in mother tongues, strengthening PM SHRI Schools, promoting digital education and skill development, and deepening industry-academia collaboration. 

The emphasis on the NEP is significant. The RSS and its education affiliates have long viewed its implementation as a strategic priority. Joshi, associated with the RSS from a young age, is seen as closely aligned with those priorities and is expected to carry forward Pradhan’s agenda. According to his profile on the BJP website, “Joshi first came to public notice with the RSS when they organised a movement to hoist the tri-colour flag at Idagah Maidan, Hubbali, Karnataka, during 1992-1994.” A five-term Lok Sabha member from Dharwad since 2004, he is known for his consensus-building skills, qualities that served him well as parliamentary affairs minister between 2019 and 2024. 

Pradhan is only the second Union minister to resign during Modi’s 12 years in office. The first was M J Akbar, who stepped down as minister of state for external affairs in October 2018 following allegations of sexual misconduct during the #MeToo movement. 

In 2017, then Railways Minister Suresh Prabhu had offered to resign after a spate of train accidents, taking what he called “full moral responsibility.” Modi asked him to wait, and Prabhu was later shifted to the commerce and industry ministry. 

The Modi government has usually resisted reversing course under public pressure, but there have been notable exceptions. It withdrew the Land Acquisition Amendment Bill in 2015 after sustained protests, including from RSS-affiliated organisations. In 2018, Parliament overturned a Supreme Court ruling on the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act following protests. Modi announced the repeal of the three farm laws in November 2021 after more than a year of farmer demonstrations. The government also chose not to notify rules under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act following protests in 2019 and early 2020, and abandoned plans for lateral entry into the bureaucracy after political opposition in August 2024. 

According to people familiar with the matter, the latest course correction reflected growing concern within both the government and the RSS that prolonged unrest could alienate young voters. Public anger snowballed after police action against protesters, threatening to dent Modi’s popularity and the government’s authority. There is also wariness over Gandhi and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav gaining political momentum ahead of Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur early next year. 

The protests also showed signs of broadening. The Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ugrahan), one of Punjab’s most organised farm unions, announced plans to join demonstrators at Jantar Mantar, while protests spread to Bihar, Maharashtra and several other states. 

In his Mann Ki Baat address on Sunday, Modi celebrated Indian youth’s achievements in various fields. The BJP and RSS-affiliated outfits are now expected to step up engagement with young people, with Modi urging the party to interact more actively with youth and establish a stronger presence on Instagram. 

The Cockroach Janta Party, (CJP), which spearheaded the protests, has said it will continue pressing the government for progress on the five-point charter of education reforms it submitted. 

Proposed reforms

 

Union Minister of State Jitendra Singh is scheduled to introduce the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means Amendment) Bill, 2026. The imprisonment for any person resorting to unfair means is being increased to 5-10 years, and the fine is being increased to ₹50 lakh. The penalty on service providers found guilty are set to be raised to ₹5 crore. If found guilty, such a firm will be barred from conducting any public examination for 8 years. Senior management of the firm found guilty will face imprisonment of not less than five years, which may also extend to 10 years, and face a fine of ₹5 crore. For organised crime, it prescribes minimum jail for n7 years, and a penalty of ₹10 crore. The amendments also seek to empower the government to set up a special task force. - BS Reporter